I like to do grocery shops - it doesn't pay a lot but I consider the reimbursement a nice reduction in my grocery bill. With these shops you evaluate one to three grocery associates by asking them a question. I need some new material - I often go to the same store and need to change up my questions. What questions do you ask? This is what has worked for me:


- My spouse/friend sent me to get something called 'hummus' - any idea what that is and where I can find it?
- Where is the Soy/Almond milk (when it isn't in the dairy section - some stores put in the produce department)
- Do you have a gluten free section? My friend can't eat gluten and is coming for dinner and I need to get something (some stores have a dedicated aisle, others mix the items in the regular aisles)
- Do you have Blue Diamond Nut-Thins? (Not always in the cracker aisle but in a gluten free or natural food section. I can go through a box in one sitting)
- Do you have a vegetarian section? My kid went vegetarian in college and is coming home for the weekend.
- Do you have a drink called Fuze? My kid likes it and I can't find it (usually found in either the bottled tea or energy drink aisle - say you looked in the soda/cola aisle and if they sell it, should be in the other aisle).
- I'm looking for Tofutti cream cheese. (A dairy free cream cheese alternative. When it isn't with the regular cream cheese it can be found in dairy, vegetarian, natural food or produce departments if the store sells it)
- Do you know if you sell screwdrivers? (sometimes found in the automotive section if they sell them at all)
- My spouse/friend sent me to get something called naproxen-sodium - any idea where I can find it? (The generic name for the pain reliever Alleve usually found in the pharmacy section - good question when you need to evaluate pharmacy associates).
- Where is the Ensure? My mom loves the Dark Chocolate and I can't go home without it (when it isn't in the pharmacy section - most stores put it in the pharmacy but some put it somewhere else)

Your questions seems on point. Most Grocery Clients want US to ask the employees something relevant to their department. While your ????s are good and informative, use those questions when you are in that department evaluating.

If the employee doesn't have a answer it is because he was caught off guard, but he should have the answer. If this has worked for you them let it keep working for you.

I do the upscale organic grocery shop 3X a month. I ask questions like

-How do you tell if this mango/avacado/**insert fruit here**/ is ripe?

- Other than size, what is the difference between this mango and the small Mexican mango?

- does a hass avacodo differ from the non bumpy light green ones?

- Can you recommend a pepper that is hotter than a jalapeno but not as hot as a habanero?

-My last lime had no juice. How do I pick out juicy one?

-I have a recipe that uses Farro. I've never heard of it before? Do you carry it?

- Dr Oz recommends Flax/Chia/ Gogi / ** insert weird supplement here** / Do you carry it and how can I incorporate it into my daily diet?

- A friend of mine made a Christmas wreath where they used Frankincense and Myrrh. THey said they got it here.

- Do you carry slippery elm lozenges?

- Do you charge for fish heads for stock?

- Do you carry raw pet food?

- What types of aged balsamic do you carry?

- Do you have any coffee beans from Ecuador?

- Do you sell corned beef that is nitrate free?

- What is the difference between panchetta and prosciutto?

- do you sell kifer grains?

- Do you have gluten free tortillas?

- I vacationed in Canada and fell in love with Poutine. Do you sell cheese curds?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/08/2015 01:50AM by kalfini.

I'm Canadian and am a fan of your last line

Love this thread!
I do a bakery dept a lot and ask them if they can put photos on a cake, and how long that would take.
For the deli dept. I am concerned about my salt intake, can they give me some suggestions?

Poutine? Disgusting and calorific. I LOVE IT! Cheese curds don't exist here. No one knows what they are. I'd buy a bag and eat the whole thing. Burp.

Errr, be aware that some of the MSCs/client require that all questions be open-ended, not yes/no. Fortunately, most of the yes/no questions suggested here could easily be translated into open-ended ones by asking, "Where will I find ... (screwdrivers)?"

My grocery store evals give you the questions to ask and they are ridiculous.

My questions are usually to see if they know where the product is and if they offer to show me where it is. After confirming they carry the product and the response is Yes or No rather than an offer of assistance, I will drill a bit more.

Me: "Do you carry screwdrivers?"
Associate: "Yes"
Me: <Awkward Pause> ... "uhm...do you know where I might find them?"
Associate "Yes"
Me: <Awkward Pause> ... "Maybe you could let me in on the secret and tell me where they are?"
Associate "Yes"
Me: <Shrug> "What's your favorite color?"

For the bakery I always ask if they make wedding cakes. For the produce department I ask them where their kiwifruit is from. For the meat department I ask if they ever stock in lamb. For the Deli I ask for Land of Lakes swiss (even when I can clearly see they don't have it.)

These are great questions! I love when things make me laugh. I love the grocery store shops also. I just finished up a dozen at a new store location. I find a good deli question is asking for horseradish cheddar. You never find it pre-sliced. I was having trouble with the customer service desk questions until my husband reminded me I could always buy a lottery ticket.

Lottery ticket! Of course! The customer service questions always got me too!

I figured throwing vegetarian and gluten-free questions are always good to test their knowledge and see if they will escort me to the product. This thread has inspired me to think of low-sodium, organic and ethnic food questions to add to the mix.

Me: "Excuse me, can you help me find the salsa? I looked on the ketchup, spaghetti sauce and canned tomato aisles and can't find it."
Them: "It's on the Hispanic/Latin American/Ethnic food aisle."
Me: "Salsa is Hispanic/Latin American/Ethnic?"

(in the Southwest, Poutine is considered ethnic while salsa is not)

Yes, I always buy a lottery ticket-normally I would feel a little guilty but this is the perfect excuse. Wonderful questions on this thread. I usually ask in the produce section when (if off season) you will start to get your local produce. In season, I ask which produce is local. South Jersey has plenty of farms as does Lancaster county, PA.

"Do you have hollandaise sauce?"

I was doing a grocery shop yesterday and a customer asked for it....2 associates were trying to find it....1 asked if it was a new product....

now I never use it..and have no clue if its even sold in stores....but at least I've heard of it!

usually you're given a scenario and questions to ask in advance.

@amberngriffinco wrote:

usually you're given a scenario and questions to ask in advance.

I've done plenty of grocery shops and have never seen a case where Grocery associate questions are provided in advance. In all cases so far I am expected to come up with my own questions for the Grocery associates. I start asking the same associates the same questions over and over and eventually some of them might start to catch on.

For Trendsource, they give you questions for the focus departments (Bakery, Deli, Produce, etc) but not the Grocery associates.

I have done a few grocery shops for various Sassie based MSCs and they have never provided questions in advance for any department. This thread has given me good ideas in these cases.

I haven't done grocery shops for any other MSC. If there are MSCs that don't require you to interact with Grocery associates or provide you questions ahead of time for the Grocery associates, I want to learn more.

for one chain of stores....you are given a list of questions for the deli and bakery and you choose... and ask an associate for help finding an item.

for another chain...they give you a choice of 3 departments (bakery, rx, sea, deli, meat)..and you ask a question of your own....you also ask produce and customer service a question you come up with...you only ask the center grocery associate to help locate an item.

The way I read the questionnaires on mine the grocer I ask for the product has to have the opportunity to walk me to it, and so I have to ask about something I know the store carries. It is about whether they will make the effort and not about whether they are experts about the placement. I keep it very simple. Pickles. Lemon Juice. Non Dairy Creamer. Like I'm an idiot and they can be my hero.

yep meant that co

Another good customer service question is to ask if they accept expired coupons or match prices from other stores. See how they talk about competitor coupons. I also pick up loyalty card applications. I always ask about a store policy or what if I buy this on your recommendation and don't like it. I have scored some pretty high ticket items at the well known organic grocery chain because employees have the option to put try me stickers on the products for you to take home.

For the prduce department I ask which apple would make the best applesauce or apple butter. I got more than I expected one day when the store dietician was checking out the produce department and gave men 46 minutes of the differences in each type of apple and their sugars and taste. Seafood department I asked them what seafood would make a good chili as I was tired of beef.

Thanks for all the great questions. I usually ask the same old lame ones and needed something new. In produce I ask which avocados make the best guac (answer is Haas IMO). In the meat department I ask where the ground turkey breast is located (since they usually do not ground their own turkey breast the associate has to walk me over to it). Which cheese makes the best grilled cheese sandwich? What pastries do you have that do not contain fruit? Can you suggest a good white wine that is on sale? Cannot purchase the wine but still have to evaluate the wine department - I find that cruel and unusual.

@Frugal.Lee wrote:

@amberngriffinco wrote:

usually you're given a scenario and questions to ask in advance.

I've done plenty of grocery shops and have never seen a case where Grocery associate questions are provided in advance. In all cases so far I am expected to come up with my own questions for the Grocery associates. I start asking the same associates the same questions over and over and eventually some of them might start to catch on.

For Trendsource, they give you questions for the focus departments (Bakery, Deli, Produce, etc) but not the Grocery associates.

* TS offers up grocery questions (not required, but suggested *



I have done a few grocery shops for various Sassie based MSCs and they have never provided questions in advance for any department. This thread has given me good ideas in these cases.

I haven't done grocery shops for any other MSC. If there are MSCs that don't require you to interact with Grocery associates or provide you questions ahead of time for the Grocery associates, I want to learn more.

Nice additions to add.

Thank you for the fresh questions! I typically freeze and ask something idiotic like "do you have fresh corn yet?" while I'm staring at it!

Keep in mind, the MSC might say that they get to keep you lottery winnings...like they try to do on the Casino shops, especially if you hit the jackpot! Just kidding...but really...tell me why it is they think they are entitled to it on the Casino shops...?

I did one of these last night. In the produce section, the crew member happened to be right next to the hot peppers so that's what I decided I was there to look at. I picked up a cherry bomb pepper and said, "Well, isn't this cute." He said, "Yeah, those are good. Have you ever had one? They're pretty hot but there's a good flavor. It's okay if you want to try one."
A brief pause. I was already holding the pepper, so putting it back would be an admission of defeat. My manhood was on the line--it was time to impress a total stranger with a daring feat of scovillian bravado. I said, "Well, hey, thanks. Cheers!" and bit into it all the way to the top, where the seeds were.
I'll just say he was right on both counts. The pepper was great, but luckily I finished the interaction and got around the corner before the hiccups started and my eyes watered. Five minutes later, the cooldown phase was finished and I kind of wanted to go back for another one...

jmitw


Do you have hollandaise sauce?"

I was doing a grocery shop yesterday and a customer asked for it....2 associates were trying to find it....1 asked if it was a new product....

now I never use it..and have no clue if its even sold in stores....but at least I've heard of it!

McCormicks sells it in a package. In the same area as gravy.

@pinchers81 wrote:

I picked up a cherry bomb pepper and said, "Well, isn't this cute."

OMG I laughed so hard at this! Yes, that comment ^ was your undoing and your fate was sealed. Extra points to you for your brilliant use of "scovilian".

@Canuck wrote:

jmitw


Do you have hollandaise sauce?"

I was doing a grocery shop yesterday and a customer asked for it....2 associates were trying to find it....1 asked if it was a new product....

now I never use it..and have no clue if its even sold in stores....but at least I've heard of it!

McCormicks sells it in a package. In the same area as gravy.

e you

So easy too make your own in a blender. Fresh lemon juice, egg, meltgred butter, salt and pepper. Google the recipe for exact amounts of each ingredient.